Presenting molecular models in a clear and engaging way is one of the key pain points for molecular modelers, educators, and researchers alike. Whether you are explaining molecular architecture to students, showcasing assembly mechanisms, or generating impactful animations for publications, the way your molecular structures move and appear can make a big difference. One valuable yet underused tool to achieve this in SAMSON is the Disassemble animation effect.
The Disassemble animation moves selected structural nodes or meshes away from their original positions, creating a visual spreading effect. This is particularly helpful when you want to:
- Clarify complex regions by temporarily separating parts of the molecular structure.
- Highlight the composition or subunits of molecular assemblies.
- Transition into or from a fully assembled state in dynamic presentations.
How It Works
Using the Disassemble animation in SAMSON is straightforward. Here’s a typical workflow:
- Select a group of structural nodes or meshes that you want to disassemble. If you don’t select anything, SAMSON will try to guess which nodes to animate based on context.
- Open the Animation panel in the Animator.
- Double-click on Disassemble to apply the animation between the two keyframes.
- Adjust the keyframes to control the timing.
- To fine-tune how far things move apart, use the Inspector to change the amplitude settings.
- You can also modify the animation’s easing curve to make movement start/stop in different ways (e.g., speeding up, slowing down, etc.).
Why It’s Useful
This animation is not just a visual gimmick. In educational settings, disassembling a structure in front of an audience helps convey how molecular systems are put together. In research, it can help demonstrate changes or structural relationships more effectively than static images. It allows viewers to mentally digest complex 3D arrangements by separating entities into visually distinct clusters.
Moreover, you can combine the Disassemble effect with other animations like Assemble and Hold Atoms to create seamless presentations or videos. The Animator interface allows stacking and coordinating these effects across different nodes for maximum flexibility.
See It in Action
If you’re curious how it looks in practice, here’s a simple example of the Disassemble animation applied to a molecular structure:
Note: Earlier versions of SAMSON included an Animation menu, but now you can access all animations through the dedicated Animation panel in the Animator.
To learn more about how to use the Disassemble animation, visit the official documentation page: https://documentation.samson-connect.net/users/latest/animations/disassemble/
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.